Season's Change

Autumn is coming!! You can feel it. There has been a subtle shift in the weather. The light, the air, the entire natural state has changed just enough to let you know there is a change. There is a need for an extra quilt on the bed, the odd leaf drops and the flowers are looking faded. I am not sad, Fall is my favourite season. Its a nip in the air, beautiful coloured leaves, warm days, cool nights and pumpkin spice everything. It makes my heart happy.

The Banker, bless her heart, has been hard at it, felling my lilac bushes. Clear cut all the way. My miniature lilacs, which had reached at least the seven foot mark, thanks to my total neglect. They needed to be raised to the ground so we can both start afresh. Now you see them:

And now you don't:

There are a small bit left. She has to leave some because the compost dumpster can only hold so much at one time. Once again I am so grateful for the blessing of good friends. They are so generous to me. My hope is that this time I can keep them trimmed down.

I have gotten to work on the wall hangings for Teddy Bear. She has asked for five of them. Small single buffalo ones not five of them with the four buffalo.

I have finished the applique on all of them, I have added the boarders and they are ready to quilt. I will sandwich them and get on it this weekend. She needs them for September so I need to get at it. Once these are done I am going to make a four buffalo one for myself. I will start it right after these.

I also need to get on the Safe and Warm quilt, the quilt for Best Friend , new quilt for the red bedroom and a zillion other things that I also want to make. Mosaic stars, tiled table top, and the list goes on and on.

Speaking of things that I want to make, I have one of KitKat's runners quilted and ready to bind. I need to make her one more after this:

I want to bind it with blue. I rather like this grey and blue colour scheme she wanted. I was not sure at first but its grown on me. I guess I was thinking Christmas, but this is more a winter thing with the snowmen. 

I have finally decided what to spend my last year's Christmas gift card on. I had originally set my heart on an old fashioned screen door. I never saw one on sale this year so I changed my plans and settled on a new dining room light. I got this one.

Now I have to get it installed but that will happen in time. I absolutely love it. Edison bulbs all the way Baby!! Be still my heart. I think it will match very nicely with the new dining room clock.

Oh my goodness look what KitKat gave me for my birthday!! I absolutely love him. Isn't he the cutest little porker?

I have to find the perfect spot for him. He is meant for the garden but I want him someplace where he will not easily be seen, so no one walks off with him. He is just too cute to lose.

So I had started this post earlier in the weekend. Its now Sunday evening and I have gotten two and 3/4 of these finished

Quilting and binge watching Doctor Foster. This is a good way to spend the weekend as far as I am  concerned. I just have to get a list of things to watch on Netflix.  I finished the Blacklist so now I have to find other things to watch. Doctor Foster is a British drama and not a bad series.I managed to watch the two seasons that were on Netfix.

Today besides quilting I have been catching up on the laundry, Not a very exciting day but it all needs to be done. I go through half the things on the "to do" list. Its the best I seem to manage these days. I still live in hope that I will work up the energy to do the yard work that needs to be done. I cannot expect the Banker to do it all. I can't afford to hire someone so I need to do it. Its good for me to do it. I need to stay mobile, I need to keep pushing. Its good for me. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

toodles
Linda

Another Long Weeked Done

It truly is blissful to wake on a Monday morning on your own and not to the sound of the alarm clock. I love it, just sayin'.

This has been a good weekend. Very peaceful and lazy, not a lot accomplished but some things did get done. Unfortunately it was so hot and humid on Saturday that I stiffened up to no end. I was so stiff and sore, I was not be able to do all the errands I hoped to do. Its ok, they will wait for me and will get done when I am more able. So I came home after groceries and worked on pillow shams for Busy and the Carpenter.

I got them done while I watched the last of the Black List that is currently on Netlix. (Now what am I gonna watch???) So with the completion of the shams I have finished their new bedroom set.

As promised here is a picture of the finished product. I texted pictures to the owners this morning so I can post some here

The colour of the picture is not true, its more lavender and grey but you get the drift. Its a lovely quilt and I was tickled to do it for them. They are very good to me and its nice to be able to do something for them.

I bought myself a new toy this last week. It came out at the right price and I treated myself. I bought this:

Busy had very kindly lent me her old machine and I was very grateful to have it. I made use of it as I cannot function without a sewing machine  but I feel more comfortable with my own.  I got to play with it this weekend. I did the last two blocks on my 52 blocks in 52 weeks quilt project.

Not much else happened over the weekend. Teddy Bear stopped in for coffee on Sunday and Kit Kat was here today. Its nice sitting on the veranda and chatting. Thank goodness it has cooled off  and the humidity has dropped. Kit Kat watered my scrubs and flowers for me. A chore I have not been very good at lately. My down spout at the back is plugged and so is the one at the front. so my rain  barrels remain mostly empty. To water means hauling water from the kitchen.

I have decided that I need to get a lock of some sort for my outside tap so I can have my garden hose accessible. I am scared to turn the water on without it being locked because I do not trust that the neighbours kids will not turn it on and leave it run or they will think they can use it. Especially if I have hoses connected to it.While they are reasonably good most of the time they do have some boundary issues now and then. I am going to be on the hunt for a lock.

Back to work tomorrow. Oh joy!!

Toodles
Linda

I'm a Pensioner!!

Ok the upside to being 60 is you get  a pension. Got my first deposit the other day and I have to admit it takes the sting out of getting old. Well a little bit anyway. I am still not on good terms with that little reality but I am getting there. Its a fact, I can't change it so I may as well figure out how to make peace with it. Money helps. (Yes, Yes I can be bought.)

Again  a long stretch between posts and I have to be honest its mostly because I do not have a lot to tell. I mean there is only so many times I can go on and on about cleaning the kitchen. Fascinating subject as that is.

So in desperation shall we do some bullet points on what has been going on around here.

• The giant mushroom has finally made its way to its new home in the flower bed. It looks cute nestled in all the weeds

•  I finished the quilt for Busy and the Carpenter. I have not taken a picture yet but I will, once I have sent it to them first. They really should see it first. Here is my other quilt project in the mean time

• I finally got the window box figured out. I needed something to put the flowers in that would not fall over. I thought of terracotta pots, metal buckets and then I settled on cookie tins from the second hand store. Cheap and cheerful!! Just need some oasis to stick the flowers in and we are good to go.

• I was sitting in the living room minding my own business on Saturday night and the ring holding the lovely lantern I bought let loose and the entire thing smashed and I mean smashed to the floor. Scared the crap out of me . The candles still work so I will keep them. The rest is garbage, sadly. Now I have to find something new to hang in that corner.

• The No Cook Friday gals had our once a year, celebrate for everyone birthday party. Game of Thrones theme. We had a blast!! Sweet Baboo's daughter made the cake and she did an awesome job. The Iron Throne never looked so good. We played games, ate, laughed and generally behaved like we were 12.

• Then on Sunday some of us, The Banker, Teddy Bear, Kit Kat and I binge watched the last season of Game of Thrones. We do a pot luck sort of meal and snacks when we binge watch a series. It was a great day.

That is pretty much all I can think of. I have some projects on the horizon but I will keep that to myself until they are finished and I can show pictures. I have Quilt blocks to make because I am once again two weeks behind. 

The next thing I hope to do is finally get the material to recover my new to me kitchen chairs. I have the money now so I just need to get my butt to the store and get it. If they still have the stuff I picked out when Busy and I were there. I have my fingers crossed.

See this empty spot on my veranda??

My kitchen table was parked there but it has found a new home. The Banker's granddaughter and her family were happy to take it and make use of it and I am happy to have it gone. I have my fingers crossed that she will decide she wants the chairs too

Oh yes I had a little triumph the other day. You know how once in a while you will buy something and think if I just loose a few pounds that will fit. Well guess what I wore to work last week?

I bought this shirt YEARS ago and finally I am able to wear it. Its been a long time coming but at long last I actually wore it. Doing a little happy dance!!

That's it that's all. I got nothing else. 

Toodles

Linda

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

My favourite thing to do on the weekend after No Cook Friday is to park myself on my veranda with a good cup of coffee and just breath for a while. Listen to the birds, the bugs and the muted human noises. It regenerates me

Throw in my favourite coffee mug and I am pretty much a happy content lady. I indulged in this little pass time yesterday after I got home from gassing up the car and getting me some new potatoes from a local farmer. I picked up breakfast and then it was the veranda for me. Breakfast al fresco, just the best.

Yesterday was a day to get a jump on some of those little jobs that I have managed to ignore for longer than I care to admit. 

Ok sit back and prepare to be dazed by my industry::  (please note this is laden with heavy sarcasm, I truly am my own worst enemy)

I made a giant mushroom!! The silicone is set today so at some point it will make its way into the hosta bed. I had had the bits for awhile but took forever to get it siliconed.

I, at long last dragged the tiles from the dining room and got them tucked away in the back porch. Only took me three years to get the tiles from the veranda to the dining room into a rubbermaid container. Then it took a few more weeks to get them into the porch.........Triumph.

Speaking of the porch the cat carrier that KitKat had borrowed it back in it place and not in the dining room. Dining room/dumping ground..........whatever label you want to give that space.

I got my new dining room clock hung up and I did it all by my little self.

While this may seem like a two minute no brainer for anyone else its a great feat for me. To get myself up on a step stool and down again is major. The pain in my legs makes this sort of things problematic. Not to mention my fear of falling and getting very injured BUT its up and it looks gorgeous and I love it to bits.

I have put away plastic containers that were washed last week, I hauled some garbage and an extra container off the veranda. Later to day I will wash said container and use it to store my winter clothes. I have laundry on the go and I will wash up the breakfast mess after I am finished here. I quilted and binge watched the Blacklist. This activity will be repeated to day.  I have sorted out the recycling because suddenly they are no longer taking #1 plastics for recycle. I also have to bag up the garbage to take it out. All the clam shell containers that now have to be dumped in the landfill. Drat.

I know its all small things. I tend to leave these little jobs so to get on top of them is something I am so happy about. I want to have a neat and tidy house, jobs done and all this mess dealt with. The house is pretty good right now, because I have been working on it, but my craft room is a sin and a shame. Its next on the hit list, still on the hit list, been done so many times you would think I'd learn to keep it clean list. Whatever

I am up to date on my 52 blocks in 52 weeks quilt. Its looking rather nice now. We are half done the block and I am really enjoying this. Can't wait to see the finished deal,. I cannot find the picture I took of it but I will add it later once I locate it. Chances are I did not move it from my phone to the computer.

I have some mending to do for other folk and I home to get on that today. Its hot hot hot outside and I am struggling with the idea of turning on the air conditioner. Its a million year old machine and it scares the life out of me to turn it on each year. This year it gets replaced. I cannot deal with it anymore, not to mention it must suck up enough energy to run a small country each it it runs.

Hey did you notice, This is the second post in a week!! things are looking up.

Toodles

Linda

Tying to get my act together

Can't seem to get back to posting on the blog every week. I really do need to get my act together and get better at this. So enough with the promises, hollow or whole, lets move on shall we.

I turned 60!! I cannot get over this!! Of all the stages in my life this is the one that makes me wince. I am ok with having birthdays, rather have them than not but this number makes me cringe. I think its because I need to let go of a lot and come to terms that many things I had thought would happen in my life .......... not happening. Its all an adjustment and I am not taking it well.

I did have a lovely birthday, lots of love, good wishes, gifts and flowers. I have some marvelous friends and a family that cares about me. SO I have no complaints. I just feel so stinkin ' old. So many missed opportunities, so many never gonna happens'. If I could drink I would

So as always I am trying to get myself in order. Keep up on the housework, get things done, keep on top of the daily routines. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I triumph, its an on going battle. I would give anything to have some energy. To feel like doing something, anything.

I have managed a few things this weekend. I hand washed a ton of containers. Some for recycling and some that I use for lunches but somehow they took over the kitchen. I have them spanking clean now.

I weeded the shrub bed along the front fence. It was full of something I call bind weed. I have no idea if that is the right name but its prolific and sticky to the touch. I took pictures but the lighting is not that good.

all that green that is sticking up is what I call bind weed. There is a ton of it out there and I need to get it gone. So before I could make it into a mountain of a job, I got out there, spend a few minutes and it was gone

I finally have all the tiles off the veranda. Those tiles have been sitting out there in three boxes for at least two years. I have them in a rubbermaid tub in the dining room, they just need to get moved to the back porch. When that will happen is anytone's guess but I am hoping soon.

The flowers Busy planted a coupe of weeks ago are looking lovely on either side of the sidewalk.

and the petunias in Mom's wash tub are lovely this year. Lots of rain has made them flourish

The one I planted in the back are the favourite treat of a bunny, at least I think its a bunny. Something is devouring the blooms so I have pots with greenery in them back there. Oh well. Its plants regardless. My red and white petunia pots at the front were just white for July 1 but that's better that nothing.

The quilt for the Carpenter and Busy is half quilted. I have the stuff to make a giant glass mushroom and I have my 52 block in 52 weeks all caught up. I have my pictures all caught up for scrapbooking this fall. I try to order them as the year goes along so I don't end up having to print out $100.'s of dollars pictures at one time but I get behind now and then.

Not much else to tell. I really have to blog more often, I forget stuff inbetween posts. I know I did more stuff, stuff that I will think of once I sign off. Oh well, here is to hoping for better, more frequent posts in the future.

Toodles
Linda



 .

Sunday

That delicious day of the week that presents the quandary, does one stay in bed and indulge in sleep or does one get up and partake in all those tasks that cannot be dealt with during the work week. Oh my, the curse of first world problems. I try to partake in a happy balanced mix of both activities.

So much has been happening, so many good things. I have not been blogging and that needs to change.

Ok, I will fill you in on this last week because I cannot remember everything. Birthday Twin was here. She was in the province visiting family and came and spent an afternoon with me last Monday. I had the week off as Busy and the Carpenter were coming so it worked for us to get together. If she has not made this trip for her family we would not have managed a get together.

She liked her birthday/housewarming gift. We went for Chinese food, spend some time on my veranda visiting and knitting, We had birthday cake ( we share a birthday) and then it was time for her to get going back to her relatives.

It was not quite the get together that was originally planned but things worked out the way they did. It was very nice to see her even if it was a very short visit.

The Carpenter and Busy were next on the list. Birthday Twin was here on Monday and they arrived on Tuesday. My good brother came to shingle my kitchen roof for me. I was soooo pleased.

In no time at all shingles were raining down into the back yard. Neither of these two mess around 

once they get going.

While he was up on the roof, Busy got things done on the ground. She planted the rest of my flowers

She trimmed my lilacs, loaded tons of garbage into the truck to haul to the dump. She cooked the meals and did clean up afterwards. We weeded the hosta bed in the back. Just in case you were thinking I did absolutely nothing while they were here

The waist high weeds are gone and much to my joy some of the hostas are actually growing back. I thought that all of them had winter killed. I planted the two new one that I bought and then I put in the last five marigolds.  I still need to get more hostas but I will pick them up as they come on sale.

In no time at all the new shingles were on the roof and looking lovely I might add.

The eves were cleaned out. My new to me kitchen table was set up and the cabinet I am giving to KitKat got brought downstairs. So many things I cannot do myself or could do but it would take forever, were taken care of in not time at all. Not to mention all the waste got taken to the dump and is not still in my backyard.

I am so grateful to them. I am blessed with family that cares about me and friends that are good to me. I could not ask for better.

I will share pictures of my new to me table once I get the chairs recovered. I found the material but I need to wait for payday to get it. Busy and I made a trip to Fabricland and I found it then.

So today I will spend the rest of my time doing laundry and working on quilting a quilt for them. We cut the material out at Easter. She is making it for the new bedroom in the new house. She got the top and backing sewn up and I am going to quilt it for them. Its not often that I can do something for thos two so I am very pleased to be able to do this .

Well the laundry is calling my name

Toodles
Linda

Getting things done

Oh my spring is moving along and sliding into summer. I was out on the veranda this morning, a beautiful breeze wafting by, delicately scented with that wonderful perfume only the lilac can provide. Bird song everywhere, It was fabulous. My second favourite season of the year. Its not to hot, not too cold. Everything is green and full of promise.

I am actually getting some yard work done. Thanks to the Banker I got a kick start last week. She is worth her weight in gold that woman.

She got me the shrubs I wanted, brought them to me and even planted them for me. I now have a lovely little row of spirea bushes along the front fence. I am doing all I can to make sure they take and begin to grow.

Not the best picture but there are my new little babies. She also picked up a dogwood bush for the corner and she planted it too. Its one I have never seen before, it has golden yellow leaves and I love it.

Another one I am working to keep alive. this will be my third attempt to get a bush to grow in this corner after I  killed off the original dogwood bush. Never spray round up on the weeds below a bush and think the bush is going to live. Just sayin'

So today I was up early and I buzzed down to get a few plants and find some breakfast. I got some hostas and some petunias and then treated myself to breakfast on the veranda. Having been fed and watered I took a stab at weeding.

I do not do a pristine job of it like the Banker. Mine looks more like goats have been having a rave but I get the most of the weeds out of there.

before

After

I need to deal with the weeds on the sidewalk but its looking much better. I got petunias planted in Mom's washtub and I weeded the front hosta bed

Somewhere between those two visible hostas' are a lot of other little ones just bursting through the soil. So I doused them with weed and feed and we will see what takes place

I took my time this morning. I have a very small yard and really this should not take all that long but for me it does. My bad knee and pinched nerve make me wear out very quickly. So I paced myself. I want to be able to keep doing as much as I can for myself. It was work a bit, rest a bit, work a bit, watch an episode of The Blacklist, do some more and I got the most of what I had hoped to done. I need to plant flowers down either side of the sidewalk and deal with those sidewalk weeds. Plant three more pots of flowers and then I can start on the back yard.That is going to be a job and a half but I will go it a bit at a time. I am not a gardener by any means, but I do like puttering about in the soil. My goal is to get my yard to look as nice as it can with as little maintenance needed.

I feel triumphant today. It feels good to be getting things done, getting them done on my own no matter how slow. I have to stay independent, I have no wish to be a burden on anyone, thank you very much. Asking for help now and then is one thing but being helpless is another.

I will do some more tomorrow if I can. Depends how my legs feel after their workout today. I will be able to plant the pots no matter what. That I can do sitting down. 

I have discovered the Blacklist, I am into the second season. Yes I know I am late to the game since its already run its course. Thank goodness for netflix!! I cannot believe I missed it first time round. Its very very good.

Tomorrow will be yard work (maybe). Laundry, sewing, and house work. I am going to wash the kitchen floor. Now I don't have to work around a Christmas tree I can get it washed properly. I may even go to Michael\s tomorrow. Hard to say, I need a few things but I tend to talk myself out of going anywhere on Sundays.

I hope your weekends are going well!

Toodles 

Linda